Maps, Take 2
by IntraSule
Summary: Berwald, a worker at the Red Cherry Café, gets to watch the new performer, Tino, as he sings a song that makes Berwald see his love pining in a new light. Same song inspiration, different spin on it.


I do not own Hetalia nor the nonexistent Red Cherry Café (although I should since, y'know, _I_ made it up. -_-")

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There is a sort of love-hate thing that Berwald Oxenstierna felt towards the Tuesday evenings at the Red Cherry Café.

He loves how at this time period, the café attracts patrons old and new who bring in a lot of money, but hates how the café gets overcrowded. He loves how the café fills with the smell of coffee, cappuccino, mocha, hot chocolate, and freshly baked pastries, but hates having to spend up to five hours beforehand making the coffee and baking those pastries. He loves how the quaint café buzzes alive with excited chatter among his customers, but hates having to hear a few snippy customers demand their orders as if they were blind to the millions of tables Berwald had to serve before they came in. He loves how a lot of patrons are generous with their tips for his service, but hates the sore feet and pounding headaches he suffered for earning those tips. But the one thing that he loved the most about Tuesday evenings, the one thing that trumps all of the benefits and disadvantages combine, was the surprise indie performances.

Every Tuesday evening, just as the clock hits five in the afternoon, the Red Cherry Café would do an immediate order rush to fulfill as many ordered drinks and baked goods as possible before ending the waiters' services for the night and closing their doors to the outside world. For two hours, the café staff gets to enjoy a nice, well-earned break from their duties (besides Mathias Kohler, Berwald's coworker and older half-brother who always make it a point to disappear during the order rush for his "bathroom break" and leave the work to Berwald) and watch free small concerts happen live on the cherry-themed stage that Berwald built himself. Berwald was a big fan of the indie music culture, so he enjoyed the current of ambitious yet unknown musicians or musical wannabes that flowed into this café every Tuesday.

Berwald listened to the anticipated buzz of the crowd as he set down a customer's mug of coffee and smiled. Besides listening to original, soulful songs that make one think and feel, being a fan of indie music has another great perk. He can sense as he shared the music with the café goers a feeling of community and joy, like a million veins connecting to one beating heart, healthy and free of artificial crap that could plaque its arteries. He didn't really consider himself as one of those indie hipsters who gets angry as soon as a relatively unknown band becomes popular like a child throws a tantrum over having to share a toy (he even felt that it's good to spread the bands' names, that maybe it can reverse the damage the music industry has been through over the years from allowing just anyone to get famous), nor does he call lovers of the mainstream "swagfags" (which insults him as a homosexual more than it insults them). He does, however, feel bad that true talent, whether that's in the rock genre, rap genre, hip-hop, or blues, have to be pushed into the dark corners of nonexistence while pop culture swallows up anything it could find lying in the dirt and regurgitate it to the general public. Berwald sighed inwardly; maybe it's too bad that true talent don't have enough fame as they deserve, but at least it's being cherished like an old family heirloom among this "indie family"; he laughed to himself at the little nickname he just made up.

Returning to the counter to pick up the next table's order, Berwald flipped through his notepad and crossed off the orders he already passed out to customers before restocking his tray. He placed a baggie of cherry-flavored hard candy- one of the café's subtle calling cards- onto the tray and began to pick it up when suddenly an arm shot out of nowhere and draped heavily onto his shoulders.

"Hey, what the hell?!" Berwald shrieked. He immediately put the tray back down onto the counter before he dropped it in surprise.

"Hey, wazzup, Berry?" An all-too energetic voice shouted in Berwald's ear.

Berwald took a glance over to the digital clock hanging high above the café's entrance. "Wow, Mathias, it's only 4:41; don't you have at least twenty more minutes of taking a dump before someone makes you pick up a tray and work?"

"Ouch, you hurt me so much, Berry," Mathias whimpered as he feigned a pout. "I work good enough, you know."

"Yeah, when Mr. Bondevick's watching you like a hawk." Berwald picked up his serving tray and hurried to the next table, Mathias following close behind. He started to place the food on the table. "Seriously, though, what _are_ you doing here? Usually, you'd duck out before the new performers come in and stay hidden until closing time. What gives?"

Mathias puffed a frustrated sigh and crossed his arms. "Man, Lukas ordered me to stay out this time because he wants me to do the introductions and support the newcoming band when they get on stage."

"Support them? Why?"

"Because Lukas's little brother is their drummer."

Berwald smiled wryly. "I see," he chuckled. "Hey, that's what you get for bedding your boss. Nothing is without its negative consequences, you know."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Mathias said as he kicked at a balled up napkin. He then gave a wry smile of his own as he added, "But it's not all bad. I get great, sweaty animal sex and an extra boost in my checks!"

Berwald grimaced. "Okay, first of all, no one needs to hear about your sex life-"

"We really don't," Berwald's current customer interjected before taking a sip of his coffee.

"-and second, that's not something to be proud of! That's just make you a prostitute without having to walk the streets! And aren't you just a _tad _ashamed of taking advantage of Mr. Bondevick like this?"

"Well, damn, you don't have to make our relationship look like some kind of prostitution gig!"

"That's what it sounds like to me," the customer muttered.

Mathias glared down at the customer and pulled Berwald away from the table to the counter. "Anyway, Berry, I'm actually looking forward to sticking around for the performance tonight."

"But you hate things like this."

"Yeah, but tonight, I have a really good feeling that I'm going to enjoy what I see tonight."

Berwald narrowed his eyes in confusion, wondering why Mathias was smirking so much. Then it hit him, and when it showed in his wide eyes and gaping mouth, Mathias only smirked more. "You know who's performing tonight."

"Heck yeah, I do!" Mathias looked at his fingernails. "And I gotta say, I truly believe you're gonna like this one, Ber-Ber."

Mathias was torturing him. Mathias knew that Berwald was a sucker for finding new names, or for surprises in general, and uses it constantly to torture Berwald for his own amusement. The best way to go about this and beat Mathias at his game was to ignore the man and go about his work, to show that he can resist temptation and that Mathias had no control over his younger brother's obsession as he thought.

Against his better judgment, though, Berwald demand, "Tell me."

"Nope~!" Mathias chimed. "You're just gonna hafta wait like all of the others, my dear friend!"

Berwald rolled his eyes and grunted. "You're an asshole."

"If I'm such an asshole, then why is Lukas dating me?"

"For the same reason he chose to make everything about this café in a cherry theme," Berwald said as he tugged at his cherry-print apron to emphasize his point, "it's simple poor judgment."

Mathias scrunched up his nose in a scowl. "Well, I at least got the guy that I wanted, no problem. Heh, too bad I can't say the same for you."

Berwald felt his face fall. "...You're really going to throw that in my face, Mathias? Really?"

"Hey, you have your judgmental views towards me, I have mine towards you. And I can at least say mine has verifiable proof."

"Whatever, just... get this to table sixteen. They've been waiting for about an hour, now."

"Dane! The performers are ready!" A voice barked from somewhere across the room. "Get your ass over here, _now!_"

"Oh, sorry, no can do, Berry! Looks like I'm on!" Mathias skipped merrily away, leaving Berwald at the front counter.

Berwald sighed, placed the mugs and muffins on the tray, and went to table sixteen.

"Damn, about time," one of the table's occupants sneered.

"Sorry, sir," Berwald muttered as he set the mugs and muffins on the table. He went over to the café's door and taped the "Do Not Disturb" sign onto it and dimmed the lights. He walked over to a spot closest to the stage just as Mathias appeared on it, standing so proudly as if he was giving the entire café the "privilege" of listening to his horrendous bellowing he called singing. Berwald saw the cocky glance Mathias passed down to him before it vanished as he stepped up to the microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen in the building, the Red Cherry Café would first like to thank you all for your generous patronage that kept us alive and going, and gave us jobs to wake up in the dead hour of the morning for." The audience gave a small sound of laughter. "And to those old faces that come here every time- and I think I see a few familiar faces- hey, Dave!- then I'm sorry to make you guys suffer through this cheesy gratitude crap you probably heard at least a hundred times already, but you all know how it goes down by now, and..." Mathias squinted into the crowd. "Oh, I thinking I'm pissing off my boss, now."

Berwald followed Mathias gaze. Sure enough, just before he stopped, Berwald saw Lukas behind him swiftly swiping his hand in front of his throat, signaling to Mathias to end his embarrassing rambling and continue on with the introductions.

"Can't disappoint my boss, so let's just move on. Now, our new guest performers are the café's most special guests tonight because, believe it or not, tonight's band have members that are very near and dear to us." Mathias shot Berwald another sneering glance, as if he was passing along a secret message.

_Why does he keep looking at me like that? _Berwald said as he glared back at Mathias. He didn't have much time to contemplate the possible reasons, though, as Mathias continued.

"Ladies and gentleman, coffee drinkers and muffin eaters, the Red Cherry Café brings to you all another of our Tuesday Indie Event and our very own Bend-Ova Boringness!" The crowd howled in wild laughter as Lukas slapped his face into his palm, shaking his head in shame.

"It's Inova Borealis!" A young voice hissed loudly from behind the curtain.

"Oh, uh, sorry, it's Inova Borealis!" Mathias corrected himself. "And now, please give _Inova Borealis _a big round of applause!" Mathias stepped off the stage, mumbling to himself, "It's not my fault you guys have a weird ass name," as he went to Lukas and stood beside him. He pulled out a remote control from his apron pocket and pressed a large button on it. The curtains automatically pulled themselves apart to reveal the small band and the cherry-themed music equipment provided by the café. One of the members stepped up to the microphone and into the center light, his face in a clearer view once the light hit it.

Berwald froze where he stood, gaping up at the face that smiled nervously at everyone in the café. As soon as he saw that heart-shaped face framed with short golden hair, those warm chocolate eyes , and pink shapely lips opened to reveal pearly white teeth, Berwald's body seemed to have taken on opposing reactions. At the same time that he felt his senses heightened, he also felt them rush out of him and leave him as an empty shell. At the same time that he felt his body become heavier like dead weight, anchoring him to the floor and to the present, he also felt his spirit leave his body and hover above him in a strange out-of-body experience. At the same time that his breathing quickened, he felt his breath being taken away.

Berwald stiff looked over his shoulder at Lukas and Mathias, both smiling at Berwald's face. "Mathias, is that really-?"

"Yeah, it is!" Mathias replied quietly, wiggling his eyebrows and grinning widely.

"U-um, hello, everyone!" The man said into the microphone, immediately snatching Berwald's attention again. "I'm Tino Väinämöinen, the vocalist and lead guitarist , this-" he gestured to a svelte teenage boy behind him "-is Emil Bondevick, our bass guitarist, and this-" he gestured to another, taller, older-looking young adult behind him "-is Toris Laurinaitis, our drummer. Together, we're Inova Borealis, as Mr. Kohler had so kindly introduced us as. Has anyone in here heard of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs?"

Tino scanned over the many faces of the room to spot any raised hands, not picking up on the face that was staring at him as if he was having the ethereal experience of a human gazing upon a powerful and beautiful angel. He chuckled nervously. "Well, I see not many of us here have heard of such a band, so this will be a fun night for us all, yeah? The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are an American-based band whose song, 'Maps', which happens to be my most personal favorite, we'll be performing tonight. I can only hope that'll I do well enough because I don't really see myself being anywhere near as fantastic as their vocalist. So, let's get the show on the road, I guess! Eh heh heh heh..."

The audience applauded softly as Tino picked up his guitar. "Aw, the guitars are shaped like cherries, too! That's so cute!" Tino giggled.

"Yeah, this guy made them!" Mathias called out, pointing at Berwald. "This guy right here!"

"What are you doing?!" Berwald hissed over his shoulder, glaring back at the man.

"Wow, really? That's so cool!" Tino said.

Berwald felt his irritation at the Dane subside as a feeling of shyness washed over him. "Th-thank you," Berwald whispered inaudibly, looking down at his toes to hide his burning face. _Oh, my God, I hope he doesn't hear my heart pounding..._

Tino and Emil strapped their guitars over their shoulders and Toris squatted on the stool behind the drums, picking up the drumsticks and holding each of them in his hands. After the two guitarists had settled their hands along the chords of their instruments, Tino nodded to Emil and Emil nodded back. Emil then rapidly flicked the chords, creating a steady flow of guitar strumming like a current of ripples on a surface of water. Seconds later, Toris beat his drumsticks against the drums in a pattern.

Berwald watched with bated breath as Tino put his lips to the microphone, clutching the serving tray to his chest as he waited.

With eyelids fluttered closed, Tino breathed into the microphone:

_"Pack up. I'm straight. Enough. Oh, say, say, say, oh, say, say, say, oh, say, say, say, oh, say, say, say, oh, say, say, say. Wait, they don't love you like I love you. Wait, they don't love you like I love you. Maa-aa-aa-aa-aps. Wait, they don't love you like I love you."_

Just like that, as he listened to the singing- so beautifully androgynous in that it was soft and high like a woman's, but had that hidden strong baritone of a man that secretly supported the feminine pitch- Berwald was hit with a wave of all that made him an indie music lover to this day: those years of pining for Tino from afar, listening with great admiration as he practiced his vocals in the public café without worrying about the other customers' opinions or stares, goofed off with his band members, talked with them about future tours, and laughing that jovial, bubbly laugh that magically erased the dark worries and fears that Berwald didn't even know he held inside him.

_"Made off. Don't stray. Well, my kind's your kind. I'll stay the same! Pack up. Don't stray. Oh, say, say, say! Oh, say, say, say! Wait, they don't love you like I love you. Wait, they don't love you like I love you. Maa-aa-aa-aa-aps. Wait! They don't love you like I love you! Wait! They don't love you like I love you! Maa-aa-aa-aa-aps! Wait, they don't love you like I love you..."_

In the quick little guitar solo Tino broke off into with so much energy, Berwald's mind went back to that first day that he and Tino "unofficially" met. That day from those years ago, Tino ordered a cherry-flavored latte from Mathias to try something new. Being the meddling asshole who noticed Berwald checking Tino out for weeks on end and wanted his little brother to finally "get laid", Mathias sent- forced- Berwald to deliver the latte to Tino's table. That was the first time Berwald ever made contact with Tino, and the first time ever meeting anyone who was willing to stick around the Swede and converse with him, no matter how afraid they were of the man's scary appearance, which showed in Tino's initial body language of shifty eyes and nervous grinning.

It was Berwald's chance to make a decent first impression, and he choked. Literally. None of the words he wanted to say came out as they stuck and built up in his throat, so he choked on them, unable to do anything but make weird grunts that freaked out the young vocalist even more than his appearance. But Tino was so polite through it all, which, for some odd reason, made Berwald feel worse.

All around him, the audience were swaying side to side in time to the soothing music, holding hands or hugging their significant other as the emotions in the song filled them. Even Mathias felt a little romantic as he wrapped his arms around Lukas's waist and settled his chin on Lukas's shoulder, much to Lukas's faux chagrin.

_"Wait, they don't love you like I love you. Wait, they don't love you like I love you. Maa-aa-aa-aa-aps. Wait! They don't love you like I love you! Wait! They don't love you like I love you! Maa-aa-aa-aa-aps. Wait, they don't love you like I love you..."_

_Wow, Karen O was so earnest in this song, _Berwald thought as he really felt the passion within the last few lyrics. _She must have really been in love. _Berwald then looked away, shoulders sagging with a sort of heartache. _Just like me..._ Berwald snapped out of his reverie when a round of loud, approving applause erupted in the café. Tino giddily bounced in place and hugged Emil as Emil unstrapped his guitar, squealing triumphantly and obviously annoying the younger man. Berwald looked down and gripped his tray tighter, pushing around a crushed paper cup with his foot. Every fiber in his body burned with longing, but he knew that it was showing on his cheeks again.

Mathias strolled up behind Berwald and ruffled his brother's hair. "So, you liked?"

"Ja," Berwald mumbled.

"Ha! See? I knew it! Ha ha ha!" Mathias sighed and gently smiled at his brother's shy demeanor. He then looked up to see Tino unstrapping his guitar and skipping off stage. "...He's quite handsome, nej?"

Berwald bit his bottom lip before muttering weakly, "...Ja, he is..."

"And sweet..."

"Ja..."

"...And funny..."

"Ja..."

"And lively and happy..."

"Ja..." Berwald almost whimpered. Never before had a combination of shyness and longing been this painful to him.

"He also loves dog, chocolates, fish, vodka, books, and the All American Rejects. Use that info wisely!"

"Ja- wait, what?"

Berwald wasn't given an answer as Mathias pushed him. He ended up bumping rather roughly into Tino.

"Oh, my goodness!" Tino gasped in surprise.

"Agh! Sorry, I-!" Berwald took a quick glance over his shoulder at Mathias, who smiled and waved cheekily alongside the smirking Lukas. When he turned his attention back to the smaller man in front of him, the entire situation- the fact that he bumped into Tino, the man he's been pining after for ages, and was now looking at him right in the eye and talking to him- knocked the wind out of him. His words started to clog in his throat again, and his palms started to get sweaty. "U-um..."

Tino raised his eyebrow. "Um, Berwald? Are you okay?"

Berwald's eyes widen and his mouth gaped open. "You know...my name?"

Tino gazed up at him in confusion, before laughing out loud. "Of course I do! I've been coming here for years, remember? I know everyone's name, including your brother's and the café owner's, especially since Lukas's brother is my band mate!"

"I see..."

An awkward silence- at least awkward to Berwald- grew between them before Tino asked, "So, is there anything you want to say to me or...?"

"Oh, um, ja, I, uh..." He looked over his shoulder at Mathias again, this time with helplessness in his eyes.

Mathias shook his head. _Nope, you're on your own this time! _He then gave a thumbs-up. _You can do it!_

Berwald looked at Tino and scratched the back of his head. "Ja, um...I was wondering..." he spoke the last few words under his breath.

Tino squinted; he saw Berwald's lips move, but he wasn't able to hear the words. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear that last part," he said as he leaned in closer. "What was that?"

"I said, um..."

Behind Berwald, Mathias was bent close to Lukas, snickering and biting his thumbnail. "Damn, I think he's choking," he whispered.

"I can see that," Lukas replied.

Mathias cringed. "Man, this is so painful to watch!"

"Yeah, it is. I wish I had brought my camera..."

"I-I said, um..." Berwald muttered. "Would you...like some coffee?"

"UGH, NO, DUDE!" Mathias wailed, throwing his hands up in the air before covering his face in embarrassment. "No...!"

Both Tino and Berwald looked back at the Dane, Berwald glaring at him and Tino looking at him with a confused yet amused grin.

Chuckling, Tino said to Berwald, "Coffee? I thought you guys stopped serving when we came onstage."

"NOOOOOOO!" Mathias wailed again. Lukas was chuckling to himself at Tino's apparent density.

Berwald quickly rubbed his palm over his face and scratched his cheek awkwardly. "N-no, I didn't mean like that, I mean, um...Would you like to...have coffee...with me...sometime..." Before Tino could respond, Berwald's sense of time slowed, making every movement around him, from the man a few feet away lifting his mug to his lips to various people getting up for bathroom breaks or to leave, slow as well. This was his mind's involuntary way of detecting any noticeable body language that gave him his answer before the words were even used. He was waiting for Tino to frown, to sneer, to look around nervously as if he wanted to be anywhere but in front of this scary creep who could do nothing but glare at people as if he wanted to kill them.

Instead, Tino tilted his head and smiled. "Sure, I'd like that."

Just like when he first saw Tino walk on stage to sing, Berwald's body took on another opposing reaction. At the same time that he wanted to jump around and dance and throw his hands in the air, Berwald also had the need to faint from the relief and shock of it all. _He said yes..._ He didn't need to worry about celebrating though, because he could hear Mathias doing all of the celebrating for him as he was shouting, "YES! Yes! YEAAAAAAAAAAH! 'BOUT TIME! WHOO!"

"Hey Tino, come here!" Emil called, waving him over.

Tino looked back towards his band mates. "Oh, shoot, hold on a second! I have to talk to them about our next song." Tino put his hands up. "Stay here, I'll be right back, okay?"

Berwald nodded and watched as Tino skipped back to Emil and Toris, a warmth bubbling up inside him. Mathias and Lukas walked up to him and slapped his shoulders.

"Glad to see you finally went through with it and didn't choke so much," Lukas said.

"Ja..."

"You do know that if you're going to get stuff from this café for you and your little boyfriend, it's coming out of your pay, right?"

"Aw, Lukas! Be cool!" Mathias whined. "Don't put a price on love!"

Berwald nodded. "Yes, I do..." And he smiled.

* * *

Yay for Berry~!

So, if any of you guys have read my previous story of the same name, Maps, you guys could see that the same song was used for inspiration and stuff. This time, instead of this song being played in a broken down truck, it's being played live because when I hear it, it sounds like a song you might hear in a sort of small performance of a chic café while sipping on your coffee and nibbling on your muffins or- heaven forbids- scones. XD So, that's how I wrote it. To be honest, I really like this story's ending more than the cheesier ending of my other Maps story, and Berwald's so sweet~! Who cannot love such a gentle giant? ^3^

I hope you guys enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it! :D

**EDIT: **Sorry, but I finally did some proofreading and had to change some misspelled words and grammatical errors. I think I missed some more, but oh, well...


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